John Ellerman Foundation launches trustee shadowing scheme
The John Ellerman Foundation has launched its first-ever trustee shadowing programme.
Inspired by the success of a similar programme launched by the Smallwood Trust in 2021, the independent grant-making foundation is recruiting three people to participate in its governance processes through a Board shadowing scheme.
It forms part of the Foundation’s commitment to explore new ways to bring diversity, equity, and inclusion into its work, and aims to demystify the roles of trustees and boards within grant-making organisations.
About the scheme
The charity is looking for three people from diverse backgrounds with lived experience of poverty to participate in the six-month scheme.
Prior experience in a Board or Trustee role is not required, but applicants should have an interest in charity governance and the work of the Foundation.
Successful candidates will have the opportunity to:
attend and observe all Board and sub-committee meetings.
attend pre-meetings and de-briefings with the Director, the DEI Trustee Lead (Becca Bunce), and the Trustee Lead for this initiative (Annika Small) before and after each Board meeting.
observe and be involved in the assessment of first and second-stage applications.
attend other Board-related meetings that take place outside of the usual governance cycle.
meet and learn from the Board and wider team.
access briefings and discussions.
attend external events (e.g. report launches/webinars etc).
attend monthly check-ins with Annika Small OBE, (Trustee) and Sufina Ahmad MBE, (Foundation Director).
The role is unpaid and will approximate working hours of one day per month.
In the recruitment pack, the charity states: “Our Board meetings, and associated governance activities, take place during the day. If you work or have caring responsibilities that mean you cannot easily attend meetings in the daytime, we would be open to exploring reimbursement for your time to make it easier for you to take part. Reimbursement of all other out-of-pocket expenses, like travel, will be provided.”
Successful applicants will also receive a training budget of up to £500.
About the John Ellerman Foundation
The John Ellerman Foundation was set up in 1971 and funds charities for work with national significance in the fields of the arts, environment, and social action. It aims to advance the well-being of people, society, and the natural world.
It makes grants of around £6m annually to UK-registered charities.
Of the shadowing scheme, Sufina Ahmad says, “We want to design and implement different ways of working that help to create more diverse, equitable, and inclusive governance structures within the charitable sector generally, including the charitable funding sector. We hope that schemes like this will provide successful candidates with the confidence and experience to pursue formal governance opportunities successfully after their time with us.”
How to apply
If you want to apply or know anyone who may be interested, submit a written statement of up to one side of A4 outlining why you are interested in the role to recruitment@ellerman.org.uk by Wednesday 13th March.
You can access the recruitment pack here.
Want some help with your application? Give us a call on 020 3750 3111.